Closer to the Edge
by LostGetFound
Summary: All Jace wanted was to propose to Clary, but nothing is working the way he planned. Including his own memory. Excerpt: "How do you forget to propose to your girlfriend?" "I didn't forget exactly." He muttered. "It was more of a momentary lapse of memory."
1. Chapter 1

**For everyone who was hoping that my next story was going to be a companion fic to Begging For Mercy, I am sorry to inform you that it isn't. But I _am_ working on one, and the first chapter will hopefully be ready sometime next week. I'm still kind of working through ideas for the story and stuff. So while you wait for me to get everything straight, please enjoy this random fic in which Jace attempts to propose to Clary.  
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**This story still, unfortunately for me, belongs to Cassandra Clare. And unless I can devise a brilliant plan to steal the right to the Mortal Instruments some time soon, it's going to stay that way. :(**

"Come here." Jace glared at the girl sitting across the table from him.

"No. It's safer over here." The girl, who happened to be his girlfriend, grinned as she said it, baiting him on purpose. Clary knew that if she went to sit in his lap, they were going to get carried away. They always did. And getting carried away in a very public café was not a very good idea if they ever wanted to come back.

"Safe from what?" His angular features, rather than being marred by the scowl, were all the more attractive. "I don't bite." She gave him a look. "…often."

She snorted in disbelief. "You bite all the time, Jace." She pulled down the collar of her shirt to prove it. He could see at least one hickey. "See?"

It was Jace's turn to grin. "No, I can't see a thing," he lied. "You'll have to come closer. Maybe even sit in my lap." He patted said area and motioned for her to come closer.

Jace was a very determined person; she knew that he wasn't going to give this up until she either sat on his lap or left. "Fine," she sighed dramatically.

Just as she had expected, the moment she sat down he immediately began to kiss the back of her neck. He sucked softly on the skin, causing Clary to jump. She could feel him smile against her skin. "Not funny, Jace." Ignoring her, he continued to kiss her neck, going straight to the spots he knew would drive her wild.

Easing his mouth up to her ear, Jace said, "Want to get out of here? We could go some place quiet where we'll be all alone and we can…"

She hopped off of his lap before he could even finish his sentence.

Jace's apartment wasn't exactly quiet, but it was a step up from the café. He had loud neighbors. He and Clary could hear some sort of band practicing on the floor above. Their singer had a really good voice, but Clary didn't recognize the song. But that didn't really matter because a minute later Clary was thinking of something else entirely. Jace's lips met hers, and she clung to his broad shoulders as they kissed. To tease him, she brushed her mouth lightly over his, barely touching him at all.

Jace definitely appreciated having a hot girl sitting in his lap. What he did not appreciate was her teasing. He tangled his hands in her hair and pulled her face to his. Giving up her teasing without a second thought, Clary moved her hands over his chest and slid them underneath his shirt, reveling in the feel of the lean, sinewy muscles of his chest. For a moment, their mouths parted and Jace looked down at her. Her lips curled into a smile as she looked at him.

Jace watched Clary intently. Her hair was wildly disheveled, the red mass curling wildly around his fingers. She looked like she had been very thoroughly kissed. Her lips were slightly swollen and just looking at them made him hot for her. He craved the touch of her lips against his own.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Jace and Clary jumped apart at the sound of a key turning in the lock. Clary was looking at him, wondering who had a key to his apartment. Jace was too busy trying to form a coherent thought to answer. He rubbed a hand over his face and the answer popped into his head. "It's just Alec," he assured her, his voice still slightly uneven. Noticing this, she smiled inwardly.

The door opened to reveal Alec Lightwood, Jace's best friend and roommate. Alec was humming quietly to himself and jumped at the sight of Jace and the red-head on the couch. Though they had never met before, when he saw the girl's vividly red hair and bright green eyes, he knew her name.

"Hey, Alec." Jace said awkwardly.

"Very smooth for someone who looks like he spent the last hour in a full frontal make-out session." Jace frowned at him as the red-head's face flushed hotly. "Hello," Alec said to the girl. "I assume you're the Clary Fray I've been hearing so much about." It was Jace's turn to blush as she looked at him for confirmation.

"And I assume you're the Alec Lightwood who lives with Jace," she said, giving as good as she got.

"Alec, can I talk to you in private?" Jace asked. He made it sound like an order. Alec followed him into the kitchen.

"So," Alec said. "That band upstairs just won't quit will they?" The band had been playing the same song over and over for three days with periodical breaks.

"Go away, Alec."

"Why would I do that? I just got here. I wanted to meet your beautiful girlfriend." Alec loved teasing Jace.

"You're gay, Alec. You don't think she's hot." Jace just wanted to get back to Clary and kiss her until they were both senseless.

"I never said she was hot." Alec told him honestly. "But she is a feisty one, isn't she? I like her already."

"That's nice." Jace said snarkily. "So do I."

"Why must you be such a smart a… you know what? It doesn't even matter, because I thought that today was the day you were going to ask her if she wanted to be Mrs. Jace Wayland."

"Crap." Jace muttered. He closed his eyes and mimed banging his head against a wall. He would never admit it out loud, but every time Clary's lips met his, every time his hands touched her body, his thoughts and plans slipped further and further from his mind. He had gotten so caught up in his girlfriend that he completely forgotten his elaborate plans for the day.

"Whoa, don't tell me you forgot." Alec laughed. Jace thought the expression looked almost foreign on his face, but didn't have the time to wonder what had made him so cheerful of late. "How do you forget to propose to your girlfriend?"

Jace glared at his best friend. "I didn't forget exactly." He muttered. "It was more of a momentary lapse of memory."

"So you forgot."

The blonde boy gritted his teeth. "Leave. Now."

"But I was having so much fun." Alec protested. Jace continued to glare at his friend. "Fine, fine," The dark haired boy conceded. "I'll leave, but don't forget this time!""

And so Jace and Clary were left alone once again. Giving himself no time to marvel over the way Clary had of twisting his stomach into knots with one smile, he plopped down on the couch beside her. He leaned over to place a gentle kiss on her cheek, before pulling away once again.

"I thought you said Alec was grumpy and scowled all the time." Clary said, frowning. "He didn't look grumpy. He was actually cheerful."

"He's been like that a lot lately." Jace said absently. His mind was racing as went over his plans in his head, and he was only half listening to what his girlfriend was saying.

"Why haven't you introduced us before? I introduced you to Simon ages ago." Smirking in Jace's direction, she added, "And he was actually kind of cute."

Jace's head snapped up. "Who's cute?" He demanded.

Clary resisted the urge to laugh at him. "Aw, is someone a little insecure?" She teased.

"You do know who you're talking to, don't you?" Jace replied rhetorically.

"Really, so if I told you that your friend was hot, it would in no way offend your masculinity?" She goaded, leaning back against the couch with a smug grin.

Jace resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "If you don't shut up soon, I'm going to be sorely tempted to bite that sarcastic tongue of yours." He replied.

"Mmm?" Clary questioned. She leaned forward until she was almost in Jace's lap, incidentally giving her boyfriend an excellent view down her shirt. "And what if I told you that I would bite back."

Jace grinned. "Then, _I_ would tell _you_ that if you wanted to make out with me, all you had to do was ask."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I don't know why I even talk to you." She sighed dramatically, pretending to be offended by his blatant suggestion. "If you keep this up, I'm going to stop."

"Promises, promises." Jace teased. Inwardly, he sighed. He was letting her sidetrack him again. If he kept doing this, he was never going to accomplish his goal.

He had known for three months now that Clary was the one for him. It was about that time that he realized the strangest part of their whole relationship was that while he had always been a player, ever since he had begun to fall for Clary, he had not once felt tempted to cheat. That realization had cemented his knowledge that he and this girl were meant to be together. Now he only had to make it official.

Clary, meanwhile, was oblivious to Jace's epiphany. She knew that she loved him, but for her this was still just another relationship. Granted, one that she hoped would become so much more. So as she leaned forward to kiss him, there a slight smile on her face. She touched her mouth to his, gently at first. It was more than just a kiss though, it was the feelings that it represented.

They went back to kissing, but it was gentler now, more fervent. This time, when they came up for air, emerald eyes met golden and they both froze. Jace was the first to break eye contact. He gently lifted Clary out of his lap and onto the couch beside him.

"Um, Clary." He said softly, almost stumbling over the words. "Could I… could you…?"

Clary bit her lip nervously. It was flattering to see Jace like this. Jace Lightwood was always confident and cocky. The boy was attractive and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he knew it. So it was almost shocking to see him unsure like this. And while it made Clary's heart soar to know that she had this effect on him, it also made her worried as to what had the most unflappable man she knew nervous.

"What is it, Jace?" She asked concernedly.

"Um, nothing." Jace said dismissively, regaining his composure. "I was just wondering if you had any plans for the rest of the day." She frowned, and Jace cursed inwardly. He was making her suspicious already and he hadn't even gotten her out of the house yet.

"No. Why?"

Jace tried for a reassuring smile and felt another bout of curse words coming as it ended up looking more like a grimace. "Because I'm going to be greedy and demand that you spend the rest of the day with me," He told her truthfully.

A slow smile spread across her face. "And what, may I ask, will we be doing?" Clary said. A flirtatious smile spread over her face.

Jace attempted a smirk and was relieved when he pulled it off perfectly. "Consider it a surprise," he said mysteriously, giving Clary a quick peck on the cheek and rising to his feet. "I have to go get something, but I'll be back down in a minute. Then we can leave."

"Leave?" Clary asked, beginning to get curious. "Where are we going?" But he was already gone.

Jace rushed down the hallway to his room, reaching hurriedly for his phone. With one quick phone call, he made sure that everything was in place for the evening, reiterating to the person on the other end that everything was to be in order as soon as possible.

Sighing, he hung up the phone. _You can do this. You can do this._ The words raced through Jace's head like a mantra. This unsure thing was new to him, and it was already driving him crazy. He had already lost count of the number of times that he had to remind himself that Clary was worth this annoying, fluttering feeling that was taking hold of him.

_This is it_, he thought nervously. Every moment brought him closer to the edge. The fall was inevitable, but whether he was going to go feet first or head first, he didn't yet know. He only hoped that he would make it out in one piece. Jace patted his pocket twice, just to make sure that the ring was still there. With one last curse at the debilitating butterflies in the pit of his stomach, he steeled himself to go face his girlfriend- and hopefully his future wife. It was time to jump.


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, I must say that I am a little disappointed in the fact that out of the two hundred and sixty-six people that read the first chapter of this story, only ten chose to review it. But I will just have to get over that. Okie-dokie, so this chapter isn't particularly fluffy, but I felt that it was needed. Hopefully, it will merit a few more reviews.  
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**Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and/or added me to any sort of favorite or alert list. :) Also, to Anna: I _have_ read the Strange Angels series and I absolutely loved it. I do plan to write a fic or two for that series, but I probably won't have time in the near future. **

"Jaaaace!" Clary smiled beguilingly at the blonde in the seat beside her. They had been sitting quietly in the front seat of Jace's car before she spoke, due to his reluctance to tell her where they were going. When Jace had coaxed Clary into his car without telling her anything, he had been hoping that she would eventually forget her questions, but he should have known better. She wouldn't let the subject drop.

"Yes, Clarissa?" He smiled back. Only, his smile was a little less charming and a lot more patronizing.

"Don't call me that." The redhead snapped, ruining her enchanting façade. "And will you please tell me where we're going? You know I don't like surprises."

Jace let out a chuckle. "I do know you, Clary." He pointed out. "And because I know you, I know that that's a lie. You love surprises."

Clary's lips turned down in a pout, and she pointedly turned her back on Jace. Jace only laughed and pulled the car out onto the street. He wasn't going to tell her, but he found that expression quite adorable on her. Then again, he found most of the things that Clary did adorable.

He started to reach across the car, take her hand in his, and sweet-talk her out of her mood. But then he remembered that to Clary, today was supposed to be just another day. If he didn't want her to suspect anything, he needed to act less like an affectionate man who was about to ask the love of his life to marry him and more like another word that started with the letter "a" that Alec's sister Isabelle often used to describe him. So he kept his hands on the wheel and drove.

They made it a total of five minutes before Clary caved. She turned to the lithe blonde and said something, but Jace was no longer paying attention. His mind was wandering over and over around the same subject. He was so lost in thought that he completely missed Clary's reconciliatory question.

"Yeah," He nodded absently as he made a turn at a green light. Clary looked confused, and it took him a minute to realize that this was obviously not the appropriate answer to her question. "No?" The statement came out like a question.

"Actually," Clary replied dryly. "It wasn't a yes or no question."

Jace didn't even have the grave to look embarrassed. Instead, he smirked. "Sorry, Clare, but I didn't hear you. Thought you were too busy sulking."

"Mmhmm." She agreed. "That's exactly what I was doing. I know how it gets you hot."

Jace grinned. "You know me so well." His tawny eyes twinkled and one of his many golden curls fell across his forehead. Before knew what she was doing, Clary found herself reaching across the car to tuck the strands of hair back with the others.

With a jolt, Clary was brought back to the beginning of their relationship. Not when they had first met, but when they had first gotten together. She and Jace may have had completely different personalities, but they fit together amazingly well. Especially in the physical aspect of things.

At first, their relationship was purely physical. They did, after all, hook up one night after speaking a total of five sentences to each other. But as the weeks progressed, and they began spending more and more time in each other's company, they began to appreciate each other's personalities as well. Considering his conceitedness and sarcastic tendencies, sometimes Clary didn't know what she saw in Jace. Other times, there was no doubt in her mind that he was the single greatest thing on the planet.

Jace had lived a hard life, one that caused him to shut out other people and build a brick wall around his heart. Somehow, in a matter of a year, Clary had broken down those walls. She didn't know exactly what had happened in his past, but she knew that her upbringing was much different than his. She had two parents who cared about her, who supported her no matter what she did. She had love.

But now, thanks to her, so did Jace. And he wasn't about to let it go. He would do anything to keep her by his side.

The silence that now permeated the car was a comfortable one, and Jace smiled absently as he felt the soft brush of her finger tips over his forehead. He thought about the times they had spent together, the times he would never forget. Realizing suddenly that they were almost to their destination, he shook himself out of his Clary-induced trance.

"We're almost there," he announced, drawing the attention of his girlfriend away from his face and back to his words.

Clary's gaze turned to sprawling lawns of the houses outside of the car window. With shock, she found that while she had been distracted, they had traveled out of the city completely and were now in what appeared to be the suburbs of New Jersey or some such place. As they traveled, the tall, comforting skyscrapers of Clary's home had turned into simple, one-story homes and then to large, extensive estates.

They were now pulling into the driveway of a huge, sprawling manor home. The lawn was pleasant and appeared to be freshly mowed, and the house was as beautiful as the day Jace had first seen it. He held back his grin at the shocked expression on Clary's face. Little did she know, she was going to receive quite a few more shocks before the evening was finished.

"How do you like it?" Jace asked, his smug grin growing wider. He drove down the long, paved drive that led up to the house slowly, giving Clary time to take it all in.

"It's… its gorgeous!" Clary still looked thrown by the sudden revelation that they were traveling to a high-priced estate for their evening getaway. "But… why are we here?"

Jace only smiled mysteriously as he parked in one of the three garages that Clary could see. "You'll see," was all he said.

"Wait!" Clary interjected suddenly. Jace's head swung around to face her. "We're not doing anything illegal, are we?" She asked nervously, as if the idea had suddenly occurred to her.

"Would it make you feel better if I said no?" Jace answered deadpan. He laughed at Clary's alarmed expression. "Relax, I'm only kidding. What we're doing is completely legal and perfectly safe." He paused. "…I think."

Clary frowned at him. "Well, now we know that comedy is definitely not your thing."

"What?" Jace demanded. "I'm funny."

It was Clary's turn to laugh. "If by that you mean funny looking," she taunted.

"I'm wounded." Jace replied. He held a hand to his chest as if he was injured, but his tone said otherwise. So did the smile that turned up the corners of his lips. "Now," he continued as if neither of them had spoken. "You stay here, and I will get your door."

He tucked the keys into his pocket and made his way around the car. With a mock bow, he took her hand, drew it up to his mouth to kiss it, and proceeded to escort her out of the car. She gave him a funny look. "Oh, come on," He grinned. "It wasn't that bad."

Clary attempted to do that one eyebrow thing that Jace excelled at, only both of her eyebrows ended up going up instead. "Let's just say, cheesy doesn't suit you, Jace." She informed her boyfriend, giving up on the expression.

Jace just smiled and didn't let go of her hand.

"So can you tell me what we're doing now?" Clary asked curiously. "Because I have a feeling that we're really not supposed to be here."

"_Relax_, Clary." Jace repeated. He placed a comforting arm around her shoulders and led her towards the entrance to the house. "I'm sure if the owner had a problem with me being here, he would have said something by now."

"You know the owner?" Her eye brows went up again when Jace nodded. "Well… if you're sure."

Her reluctance to agree showed in the tone of her voice, but Jace ignored it as he dug around in his pocket for his key to the house. Only to find that it wasn't there. A frown turning down the corners of his mouth, he reached into the other pocket to see if he had misplaced it. It still wasn't there. He let go of Clary's hand and checked once again, beginning to panic.

"Are you okay, Jace?" Clary sounded worried.

"Um, yeah. I'm fine." He said. He was beginning to get frustrated, but he was careful to train his face into a slightly bored expression. His carefully constructed mask was not allowed to crumble. "Let me just…" He bent down to look under the mat in front of the door, hoping that Magnus had left the spare key in its usual place when he went home. Of course, this was too much to ask. The spot under the mat was empty.

"What are you looking for?" Jace was tempted to ignore his girlfriend's latest inquiry. She was just full of pointless questions today.

"The key." He replied, as if it was obvious. "But it's fine. No need to panic. Just let me call Magnus."

"Magnus?" Clary asked. "Who's that?"

"He's a friend of Alec's," Jace said by way of explanation. "He was here earlier to do me a favor. He was also supposed to leave the spare key under here, but apparently he didn't get that memo." Jace fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed the number of his best friend's… friend. "Hey, Magnus." He said when the person on the other line picked up. "This is Jace."

"Hey, Jace." A voice that definitely did not belong to Magnus answered. "Um, Magnus can't come to the phone right now. He's kind of busy."

"What do you mean; he can't come to the phone? This is important." Jace snapped. "Wait a second… is this Alec?"

"Nice of you to recognize your best friend's voice like that." Alec greeted him. "And I meant exactly what I said. He's busy."

"Why do you sound out of breath?" Jace stepped away from Clary so that he could talk without being overheard and lowered his voice. "You know how important this is, Alec! My whole future is riding on this!"

"I'm sure Clary would say yes if you popped the question at home on the couch, Jace." Alec pointed out. As usual, Jace found his unarguable logic annoying. "If she loves you nearly as much as you love her, there's no chance of her saying no."

"Alec…" Jace's tone was one of warning. It was the tone of someone who was used to being in charge and wielding authority. "I really appreciate the sentiment, but I want this to be special. Something that Clary can remember forever. And plus, we already drove all the way out here."

"Fine," Alec sighed. "I'll put Magnus on the phone." Jace was too preoccupied to notice that Alec had never answered his question about why he was out of breath.

"Magnus the magnificent, at your service," A silky, arrogant voice announced.

"Because I'm pressed for time, I'm going to choose not to comment on the adjectives that you choose to describe yourself, even if they are inaccurate. I just want to know where you left the key to my house." Jace hissed. He and Magnus had a strange relationship. They were both cocky and confident, but that was where the resemblance ended. First of all, Magnus was gay. Very obviously so. He and Jace got along sometimes, for Alec's sake, but most of the time, they argued. Actually, it was a bit more of a verbal competition than an argument.

"You know, a thank you would be appreciated, considering all the work I did to prepare the place for your little date." Magnus responded haughtily.

Jace gritted his teeth. He hated being indebted to people, because it meant he owed them. It meant that he had to give something of himself to them, even if it was only a begrudging thank you. He decided to sacrifice his pride, painful though it may have been, and say, "Fine. If you can get me that key in the next five minutes, I'll do anything you want."

"Anything?" Magnus asked, the silky smooth quality that was usually heard when the man spoke to Alec filled his voice.

"Heh. Well, you are a handsome devil, but I don't swing that way," Jace replied. He didn't sound particularly remorseful as he added, "Sorry."

"As if I would find _you_ attractive." Magnus said disdainfully. "That wasn't what I meant. And anyway, my dream of having Alec move in with me will go unrealized because I forgot to put that key back under the mat. As we speak, it's sitting on my kitchen table."

Jace muttered something under his breath that Magnus was pretty sure rhymed with muck. Or puck. Or a number of other things. "Hope your proposal goes well!" Magnus said cheerfully before hanging up.

Jace closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face tiredly before turning back to his girlfriend. "Turns out, we don't have a key." He told her, making sure his usual blasé tone was back in place.

"Then how are we going to get in?" Clary wanted to know.

"That," Jace said with yet another dramatic sigh. "Is a very good question."

One that he had yet to answer.

**Tell me what you think. Good, bad, cute, strange? All of the above? **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, it's me again! :) I meant to update this story yesterday, but I got a little distracted. Okay, a lot distracted. I spent most of the day swimming, watching tv, and reading fanfics about Lily Evans and James Potter. It was a great day!**

"Come on, Jace." Clary shouted encouragingly. "Harder!" Jace didn't respond, but he did acquiesce, shoving harder. "Yes!" Clary's excited voice rang out. "Almost there!"

From his precarious position on top of a vine-covered trellis, Jace couldn't resist the urge to smirk. "Next, you're going to be telling me that I should go faster, too." He called down to his girlfriend.

She glared at him, catching the innuendo in his statement. "Bite me." She called back.

"Sounds like fun," Jace returned. "But I'm kind of busy at the moment."

He was currently occupied balancing dangerously on the trellis propped against the side of the manor house. At the same time, he was attempting to muscle open a window that he was fairly positive had been painted shut. Oh, the joys of trying to impress a pretty girl. Though Jace was pretty sure he had done worse things in order to gain a girl's attention. There was this one time…

"Jace!" Clary's voice cut through his fond memories and brought him back to the present. "Are you almost done up there?"

"Yes," Jace lied. "Just give me a minute."

Sneakily, so that Clary wouldn't see, he eased the knife he always kept hidden on his person out of his sleeve. With the knife as his tool, Jace made short work of the closed window. He carefully wedged the blade between the edge of the window and its sill. He broke through the thin layer of paint and from there; it was easy work to lift the window.

"And I'm done," he announced after less than five minutes.

"My knight in shining armor," said Clary, her voice laden with sarcasm. "But shouldn't it be me up there and you on the ground?"

"Not if I rescued you from your tower and saved you from the evil dragon," Jace countered. Grinning down at her, he lifted a well muscled arm for her inspection. "With skills and strength like mine, it's hardly farfetched."

"Except for the fact that dragons don't exist," Clary pointed out dryly.

"Are you coming or not?" Jace called down as if he hadn't heard her.

Clary gave the aging framework a dubious look that was lost on Jace. "Um, I'm good thanks." She was planning for both feet to stay firmly planted on the ground.

"Come on, Clary." Jace coaxed. "It's not hard. Just watch." Swinging his hands and feet from handhold to handhold, Jace picked his way easily down the lattice. He made it halfway down the framework before pausing for a second. With no warning, he let go of the trellis and leaped off. Clary let out a worried gasp and started forward as Jace dropped. His lithe body flew through the air, rushing toward the ground. By the time she made a move, he had already hit the ground. Clary let out a sigh of relief as he landed on his feet like a cat.

The Cheshire grin that spread across his face from ear to ear was also worthy of such an animal. "See?" He boasted. "Easy."

"Were you trying to give me a heart attack?" She demanded worriedly.

"Actually, I was aiming more for your undying adoration." Jace informed her. He took a few steps toward her, stepping effortlessly around a large puddle in the process. He was glad that the weather, which had been cloudy and rainy for a week, had chosen this day to lighten up. He took it as a sign that things were going to end up all right… despite the earlier problems of the day.

"Sorry," replied Clary. She edged closer to him as they spoke. "But I'm saving that."

"For who?"Jace inched toward the redhead until her body was pressed against him.

"I'm not exactly sure." Clary's voice came out scratchy due to her physical awareness of the boy—or man, as he should be called— in front of her. "I don't think I've met him yet," she taunted. Oh, how Clary loved teasing Jace. Though, she wasn't the only one teasing, now that their bodies were pressed together.

"You won't be saying that after I'm done with you."

The look on the blonde's face was outright dangerous. Silver flecks she had never quite noticed before shone through the tawny gold of irises, and she was sorely tempted to take a step back. But Clary was nothing if not defiant, and she stood her ground.

"Really?" She goaded. Pressing closer until her lips touched the shell of his ear, she whispered, "Prove it."

Jace let out something close to a growl and proceeded to ravage her mouth. His competitive nature wouldn't allow anything less. A challenge had been issued and Jace would beat it. He couldn't resist a chance to prove himself, be it verbal or physical. But hey, Clary had no complaints.

Jace kissed her thoroughly, dangerously as he possessed her mouth with his. He grabbed her tightly, dragging her closer. The redhead's petite hands played restlessly over his back. They drifted from his lower back to his strong shoulder blades to the soft blonde curls at the nape of his neck. His hands were just as restless, exploring her body with a need that he felt every time they were together like this. Jace felt her body shift against him as she clung to him.

The sudden change threw Jace off balance. And somehow, the man who had only moments ago been bragging about his strength came tumbling down as the weight of the slim girl was thrown against him. They both went toppling into a heap on the ground. Clary shrieked loudly as her body hit a puddle of muddy water, completely soaking her previously white shirt.

Jace winced. Just when things were starting to turn around.

Twenty minutes and two changes of clothes later, the two of them were seated on either side of a table in the surprisingly cozy sitting room in the house. The room was large but comfortable, and it was quite a bit smaller than the rest of the rooms Clary had seen so far. Jace had led her confidently through the house, making it obvious that he had been here before.

Her wet clothes had been replaced with a large shirt Jace had stolen from one of the rooms. When she protested, Jace had assured her that the shirt was his own, leading Clary to wonder even more about the strange place they were in. Looking around the tastefully decorated interior of the manor home, she was left with even more questions than she had before. She felt a nervous shiver rush through her as her mind raced through all the reasons Jace could have for bringing her here.

Her gorgeous, perceptive boyfriend gave her a soft smile. "Here use my jacket," he offered when he saw her shiver.

She took it and smiled at him in thanks. Truthfully, she wasn't that cold, but she was not about to refuse an offer to wear a jacket that smelled so much like him. They sat there quiet for a minute, neither of them quite sure what to say. Well, Clary was unsure what to say. Jace knew exactly what he wanted to say; he was just didn't know where to begin.

"So why are we here?"Clary asked. Her voice was a little too loud in the silence of the huge room.

Jace gave her a mischievous grin and reached across the table for her hand. "Follow me," he whispered. Pushing through the door, he led her into the next room without turning on the light. Curiously, she followed behind him. As she entered the room, Clary stopped in her tracks.

She let out a sharp breath of air as she beheld the sight in front of her. There was a table small enough for two in what looked to be a formal dining room. The table was set just like it would be at a fancy restaurant. A luminescent glow was thrown across the room from a group of ornamental candles resting on top of the crisp, white table cloth covering the table. A crystal chandelier with the lights on low hung over the room, providing a dim but comfortable lighting. There was too much light to keep the room from being shrouded in shadows, but just enough to make it seem like a candle-lit dinner.

Clary could also see a set of double doors across the room that led to a balcony. Even from this vantage point, she could see that the view out of the windows was astonishing. While she had been changing, the sun had sunk low on the horizon. It bathed the world outside in a plethora of colors. The house overlooked a large lake that reflected the glow of the horizon beautifully.

Jace looked to Clary, nervously awaiting her opinion.

"Oh, Jace!" She beamed, and he let out a sigh of relief. "It's beautiful!"

Jace gave her a sweet smile, and she was surprised to see that it was a real smile, not one of his usual grins or smirks. "I'm glad you like it." He said honestly.

A sudden thought occurred to Clary and the beaming smile she had been wearing faded. "But I'm not dressed for this sort of thing." She said, a little sadly.

Jace gave her the once-over, enjoying the way his clothes looked on her. The t-shirt he had given her was almost like a dress on her, falling all the way to her knees. His jacket also hung loosely on her body. Together, the items of clothing seemed to dwarf her, but somehow they looked right.

"I think you look perfect," He told her. He smiled at her once more in an attempt to be reassuring.

Clary smiled reluctantly. "I would tell you the same, but I have a feeling your ego might inflate too much. And then your head might explode. And if that happened, I would miss you." Jace smirked as he realized that she had told him she found him attractive and that she loved him without ever actually saying the words.

"I love you too," He told her with a cocky grin.

Nausea filled the pit of his stomach as he thought of what this dinner would lead to. Telling Clary that he loved her was easy—after all, he had been doing it for months now— but even thinking the word "propose" made him feel sick. The proverbial cliff Jace had been prepared to jump from only an hour ago no longer seemed to lead to the safety of Clary's arms. Instead, he felt as if he was falling; getting closer and closer to the ground below with nothing to break his fall.

That was when Jace decided that he really hated metaphors.

With a walk as if he owned the place, he escorted Clary across the room and pulled out a chair for her to sit in. She took the proffered chair without a word, despite her natural instincts to protest that she could do it herself. Jace had a tendency to be rude and obnoxious, and she figured that if he was going to be nice, she might as well enjoy it. She could be a feminist another day.

Instead of taking the seat across from her, Jace reached over to what looked like a waiter's cart beside them. From it, he drew two leafy salads. Reaching once again, he withdrew a bottle of chilled wine. He held it up with a grin.

As they ate their hors d'oeuvres, the tension that had been pervading Jace's body gradually diminished. They talked easily and comfortably, the way they had always done, and it wasn't long before both of them were grinning.

In a moment of silence, the two exchanged glances, and Clary had a sudden urge to look away. "How did we end up here?" She asked. The question wasn't premeditated, or planned, but she wanted to know all the same. How had they gone from bickering lovers to two people on the cusp of something much greater?

"Well, I decided to take my girlfriend to a romantic dinner for two, but then she stole my jacket," Jace told her, even though he knew that wasn't what she was asking.

"I did not." Clary laughed, pulling the jacket tighter around her. "You gave it to me." She let go of it suddenly when she realized that for the past few minutes, she had been subconsciously sniffing the jacket. It smelled so much like Jace that she was reluctant to let it go.

"That doesn't mean anything." Jace countered. "All you have to do is ask for something, and I try to resist, but I still end up doing whatever you want me to anyway."

"It's the only way you can get me to kiss you," Clary pointed out with a grin.

"I'd be willing to bet that you'd kiss me anyway." Jace said with a grin of his own. "Speaking of which…" He moved his chair around the table until he was sitting almost on top of her and leaned forward until he could press his lips to hers.

"Beeeep! Beeeeep! Beeeeep!" A loud noise echoed from somewhere down the hall, startling them before their lips even met. Clary jumped, somehow managing to bang her forehead against Jace's. Jace visibly gritted his teeth as he held a hand to his head.

"Um, sorry," Clary said weakly. She grimaced as she gently touched the skin at her temple.

"Don't worry about it," Jace said dismissively. Rising to his feet, he gave her a cocky grin. "There are girls who would pay a fortune to touch this face. Even like that."

Clary gave him a skeptical look. "Where are you going now?" She asked.

"To get our food, of course." Jace replied, as if it was obvious. Grinning, he turned to look at her over his shoulder. He gave her a quick wink, and then he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, guys. I'm soooo sorry for not updating, but I've been pretty exhausted lately between cross country and karate. For some reason, I just really haven't felt like writing. I haven't felt inspired to write anything at all, but I finally managed to muddle through this chapter. **

**To anyone who is waiting for the companion fic to Begging for Mercy, I'm done with the first chapter, but I'm kind of having technical difficulties with accessing the document at the moment, so I have no idea as to when I'll post it.  
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Clary Fray was beginning to get bored. It had been at least five minutes since Jace had left, announcing that he was going to get their food, and he had yet to return. He left her sitting alone at the table, half-finished salad in hand. She had finished the salad in the first minute drained her wine glass in the second. She had even sent a quick text to her best friend Simon, asking him what his take on this whole "date night" thing was. But Simon hadn't answered, and now she was out of food as well.

She was sorely tempted to go search for Jace, but the manor house was a big place and she was a little intimidated by its grandeur. Not that she would ever admit that out loud. Slowly, she toyed with the idea of going to search for her arrogant boyfriend in hopes that he would press her roughly against a wall kiss her senseless. This place was huge; they could probably make good use of one of the many bedrooms they had passed earlier.

Oops. She hadn't meant to think that. But now that she had, she realized just how much appeal the idea held. She could almost feel Jace's warm body pressed against hers and taste the drug that was his mouth. Mmmm. Her decision made easy, she rose to her feet and set off down the hall to find him.

She made it halfway down the hall before she realized that her chances of finding Jace were slim to none. The house was just too big. It seemed that every hallway led to another hallway and there were too many doors to count. Jace could be in any of them.

A little too late, she realized that her attempt to find him was going to be futile and she would only get herself lost in the process. If only she had realized that five minutes ago. Jace had made it seem as if he was only going down the hall and would be back in a minute, and for all she knew, he could be on the other side of the house right now… but he had said something about food, and that would imply the use of a kitchen, Clary deduced. And since kitchens were generally on the ground floor of buildings, he had probably only gone down stairs. That must have been why it took him so long. The realization made Clary realize just how stupid she had been. It was too late to turn back now though. She would only get more lost, so she decided to continue on in the random direction she had chosen.

And that was how, less than ten minutes later, she found herself in front of yet another door. Unlike the rest of the closed doors, this one was slightly cracked open. _Why?_ She couldn't keep herself from wondering. Her curiosity beginning to get the best of her, Clary debated whether or not to push open the door.

_Curiosity killed the cat,_ her brain reminded her.

Clary frowned distastefully. She had never been particularly fond of that expression. Cats were actually very regal creatures, if a bit stuck up. They were of great inspiration to some artists, a fact that Clary had learned in her studies. Not that she had a thing for drawing cats, of course. Her taste went more towards hot and handsome blondes. One in particular. She sighed. _And now_, she observed with a wry grin, _I'm driveling_. Without taking time to consider what could be on the other side, Clary stepped forward and pushed open the door.

"Crap. Crap. Crap. Dammi—" Jace cursed loudly, glad that no one was around to hear. If Magnus had been here, he would have chided Jace, telling the blonde that if curse words were all he could think of, he needed to expand his vocabulary.

At the moment, curse words were all he could think of. And actually, considering some of the nasty words he was thinking, the words that came out were mild. Grinding out an expletive that rhymed with shucking pit, he snatched up a tray from the oven. He hurriedly dumped its contents into the sink with a scowl. There was a reason he'd tried to enlist as few people as possible in this mission. That way, there was less likelihood that someone would screw it up.

Magnus was supposed to decorate the balconied room where they would be eating, mostly because of his unorthodox but effective decorating methods. And Jace's housekeeper, a small woman in her mid-forties who went by the name of Sandra, was supposed to cook the food. Sandra had left around noon, and apparently she had forgotten to put a timer on the fancy steaks that were baking in the oven. With no one to watch them, they had burnt to crisps.

Well, this was what he got for relying on other people. _And to think_, Jace mused, _I thought today couldn't get any worse._ That was one lesson he learned early in life: it can always get worse.

All he wanted was to propose to his girlfriend, but everything had gone south from the moment this whole thing began. First with her distracting him, next managing to lose his key, then Clary falling in a puddle, and now this. Annoyed, Jace snatched up his phone and dialed the number of Clary's favorite Chinese restaurant.

He made it halfway down the hall, muttering unintelligible things under his breath before he noticed that something was wrong. Still clutching the phone in his hand, he retraced his steps down the hallway until he came to a door. An open door. Out of context, the fact that the door was open may not have seemed significant, but the room was left alone by everyone but Jace. And now the door was open.

As far as Clary could tell, the room was an armory of sorts. One whole wall was covered with different weapons. From small handguns to wicked knives that looked as if they could slice through a person with ease, each weapon was hung carefully on the far wall of the room. Below the weapons, on a small table, sat two framed photographs. Curiously, she reached forward and grasped the closer of the two.

Jace peered nervously into the room and caught sight of a girl with flaming red hair. "Clare…?" He called anxiously.

She spun around as if she had been caught doing something wrong, and the framed photograph she had been holding crashed to the floor. Her green eyes widened as they met his gold ones.

The both winced as it hit the ground, but neither could find in themselves to look away. "Look, Jace…" Clary floundered, trying to think of an explanation as to why she was in the room. Her eyes alighted on the abandoned phone in his hand a she was grateful for the distraction. "What's that for?" She asked quickly, motioning to Jace's phone.

"Well, it's a type of cellular device, often called a cell phone that can be used to reach people who are not in the same room as you," Jace explained dryly.

"You know, sarcasm is the last refuge of the emotionally bankrupt." Clary pointed out.

Jace cocked an eyebrow. "Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit only to those who have never mastered the art and often fall victim to it."

"Sarcasm? What is that? We don't have anything like that on my planet." Clary said obtusely. Jace grinned at the not-so-subtle attempt to prove that she had mastered sarcasm.

"Why on earth did I have to fall in love with someone even more stubborn than I am?" He asked her with a wry smile.

"That's a very good question," Clary conceded, "But I believe I asked one first."

Jace resisted the urge to point out the fact that she was being stubborn again. "And I believe I answered your question." He schooled his features into his trademark bored expression and pretended to study his nails.

"Yeah, well, your answer wasn't satisfactory."

"There seems to have been a small difficulty with our meal." Jace began. "I was on the phone with a particular Chinese restaurant considering positive alternati—"

"Is that a fancy way of saying you messed up the food so your ordering out?" Clary interrupted. She had always had an annoying habit of seeing through his bull.

"Well, Sandra was supposed to—"

"Sandra?" Clary interrupted yet again. Maybe it was just Jace's imagination, but he thought she sounded a little jealous.

"My housekeeper." Jace replied. A little too late, he realized his mistake.

"Your housekeeper?" Clary shrieked. "You mean you own this place?"

"Um, yeah." Jace mumbled so low under his breath that Clary couldn't hear.

The redhead couldn't help but notice that Jace's cheeks had flushed a pale pink, almost as if he was blushing. "Are you okay?" She asked incredulously.

"Yeah, why?" Jace tugged nervously on the collar of his shirt.

"You're blushing." Clary stated in a shocked tone of voice. "I'm pretty sure you've never blushed in your entire life." What on earth could get Jace so worked up that he was blushing? Clary really wished she had Simon here. He might not be good at relationships, but his nerdy brain was sure to make some sense of this situation. And he did have more experience than she.

"Well, um…" Jace floundered. He searched around for something to take Clary's attention away from his flushed cheeks. His gaze landed on the wall full of weapons and the glass on the floor around her. He let out a loud sigh for at least the hundredth time today. With one fleeting glance at photograph lying at his girlfriend's feet, he finally spoke up.

"I think we need to talk."

Fifteen minutes later, each with a box of Chinese takeout in hand, Clary and Jace sat across from each other on the balcony outside of the room where they had eaten earlier. Jace was looking out over the water, at the trees in the distance, towards the dark night sky, anywhere to avoid Clary's gaze.

"This looks great on you," He plucked at the shirt she was wearing.

"Thanks," Clary said softly. "I would tell you it was my boyfriend's, but I have a feeling you already knew that."

"Mmhmm," Jace grunted noncommittally, staring at the box of food in his lap.

"Jace…" Clary was really starting to worry about the blonde sitting across from her. He was acting strangely, and only picking at his food. The Jace she knew never showed nerves or insecurity. He also would have scarfed down the box of food by now.

"I'm fine, Clary." Jace said quietly. "I'm just trying to think of the best way to say this." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he spoke. "I just want to let you know that I love you. It's so ingrained into me that I could never stop loving you, never stop wanting you. I love you now, and I will love you until I die, and if there's a life after that, I'll love you then."

"Jace…" Clary's eyes softened, like they always did when Jace said something like this. Her green eyes gazed at him with a mix of love and worry. "Is something wrong? You're starting to scare me."

"Nothing's wrong." He discarded the box of Chinese food in his hand without a second thought and reached across the table to clasp Clary's hand. "I just have something I need to tell you."

This only caused Clary to look even more worried. "Is this about that room with the weapons? Or the house itself?" She wanted to know. "Because Jace, I'm so confused. First, you take me on a date to a random house in the middle of nowhere, and then I find a room full of weapons inside. Now, you sound like your either trying to confess your undying love for me or break up with me. I'm not sure which and it's just—Umphf."

Clary's confused tirade was cut off as Jace pressed a close-mouthed kiss against her lips. Clary was shocked into silence, and Jace used the moment of quiet to his advantage.

"Clary, just let me explain." Looking deep into her eyes, he seemed to plead with her, begging her to let him have this chance.

Reluctantly, Clary gave a slow nod.

"Okay, it all started twenty years ago…"

**Oooh, what do you think Jace's big secret is? Let's see if anyone can guess.**

**Also, I know you guys are all ready for Jace to just go ahead and propose already, but this chapter just kind of got away from me. The next (and last) chapter will be up really soon to make up for me taking a week to write this one. Hope you stick with me until then.  
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	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, apparently when I said that I would update soon, I only meant sooner than last time, because it's been like four days since I updated. Oops. Sorry. Anyway, this chapter is longer, as BookWormS28 requested, if only by 700-ish words.**

**Thanks to** **bookwormium13, BookWormS28, hawiiangrl, Allie Rayie, SweetDreamzz3116, and another person who shall go nameless for reviewing! You guys rock! Everyone else sucks. Unless, of course, you reviewed another chapter, favorited, or added me to story/author alert. In which case, you would rock as well. In order to not suck, please do one of the aforementioned things. As well as making you awesome, it will earn you my undying gratitude.**

_"Clary, just let me explain." Looking deep into her eyes, he seemed to plead with her, begging her to let him have this chance._

_Reluctantly, Clary gave a slow nod._

_"Okay, it all started twenty years ago…"_

"Twenty years ago, my mom got pregnant," Jace explained. "Everyone called it a miracle, because the doctors told her she would never be able to have children. She and my dad were ecstatic." An absent smile spread over his face as if he were recalling a fond memory, but it disappeared so quickly that Clary wondered if she had even seen it. "That's what my dad used to say when he would tell the story. When she was seven months pregnant, though, there were complications. The doctors said that they had to operate or she would die of blood loss. Basically, it was me or her." He shifted uncomfortably.

"She died on April fifth, a few hours after I was born. I was told that she was an amazing person. Sweet, angelic, pretty… but I never got to meet her. I never got to have a mom who loved me unconditionally, kissed my scrapes better when I fell, or tucked me into bed. I'll never even know what she was like, and she'll never know what I'm like. Sometimes, I wish she could see me. But then, I realize that even if she could, I'm not sure she'd like what she saw."

From the way the words came out all in a rush, Clary could tell that this was information Jace had never shared with anyone before. The look on his face as he told of his mother's death was a heartbreaking one, full of angst that he rarely let anyone see. Through his strong, unflinching façade, Clary could see the small, scared young boy he used to be. She had a sudden urge to take him into her arms and hug him tightly, but she knew that he wouldn't appreciate it.

"All I have left of her are pictures. That's how I figured out that she had blonde hair and golden eyes… just like mine. You know, I look into the mirror every morning and I see my features. Only they're not mine, they're hers. Without those pictures, I wouldn't even know what she looked like. My father refused to talk about her. This whole house used to be filled with her things, but he redecorated the place when I was eight as an attempt to move on. He never really managed, though. He died too… a few months after my eleventh birthday."

He looked up and met her eyes for the first time since his story had begun. "My mother died so that I could live," Jace continued earnestly. "And it tore my father up inside. He wasn't the same after that, or so I've been told. He was harsher, never quite cruel but always on the edge. He raised me to be exactly like him."

In a gesture of solace, Clary slid closer to Jace. She covered his hand with one of her own. "Oh, Jace." She comforted him. "I'm so sorry."

"I wasn't asking for your sympathy, Clary, and I don't want it." He pulled his hand away from hers. "I only wanted you to know that he raised me to be _exactly_ like him." This last statement left Clary suitably confused.

"I'm doing this wrong," A little of Jace's blonde hair fell into his eyes as he shook his head uncomfortably. "Let me try this again: Clary, do you know what I do for a living?"

Clary's eyebrows knit as she tried to remember the answer. She attended an art school on the east side of the city, but she remembered that Jace told her he never planned on going to any sort of school again. Not even college. He worked part-time at as a mechanic, but she knew he didn't spend a lot of time at the shop.

"You work at the auto shop down the block from your apartment." She offered up after a moment's contemplation.

Guiltily, he shook his head. "I couldn't work as a mechanic even if I wanted to, Clare. I doubt I could tell the difference between a carburetor and brake pad if someone held a gun to my head." Jace pursed his lips uncomfortably. "No, I'm in the family business."

Clary had a feeling she wasn't going to like where this was going, but she couldn't resist asking, "And that would be…?"

"Well…" Jace said reluctantly, "I think the most common term for what I am would be an… assssmhhhm." He mumbled the word so that Clary couldn't hear it.

"What was that again?" Clary inquired. "I didn't quite catch it."

"Assassin." Jace muttered.

Clary stared at him for a moment, dumbfounded. When the words finally sank in, she wished they hadn't. She rubbed a hand tiredly across her forehead and muttered, "Please tell me you're not serious."

"Clary, you saw that weapons room." He looked almost apologetic. "My father called it the Armory. It's where he kept all of the equipment for his missions. Now, like this house, it belongs to me."

"No. No." Clary shook her head adamantly. "You're crazy. This is impossible." He had to be joking. What kind of person in their right mind thought they were an _assassin_? He had to be insane. It was official, she decided, her boyfriend was crazy.

"Improbable, maybe." Jace pointed out. "Impossible, no."

"You're joking." Clary repeated staunchly. She searched his face for any sign that this whole thing was a joke. With one look into those golden eyes, Clary knew: Jace was completely serious. "…You're not joking?" She squeaked. "God, the guys I go out with."

"It's actually not a bad gig." He told her seriously. "The pay is great, but that's mostly because there are so few people in the business."

Clary let out a muffled squeak. "How can you be so callous, Jace?" She demanded. "How could you possibly talk about _murdering_ people as if it's completely normal? These are people's_ lives_ you're talking about!"

"Whoa, Clary." Jace put up his hands in a universal gesture of surrender. "Calm down. It's not like that."

"Really?" Clary demanded. "What is it like then?"

"First of all, I don't go around murdering innocent people. Do you really think I'd do something like that?"

Clary glared at him darkly. "Right now, I have no idea what you're capable of."

Jace had the grace to look sheepish. "I probably deserved that one, but what was I supposed to say, Clary? For some reason I don't think, 'Hello, my name is Jace and I kill people for a living,' would go over very well."

Clary looked slightly less upset. "Still," she muttered. "Some warning would have been nice."

"I've never told this to anyone in my entire life, Clary." Jace confessed. He looked so darn adorable that she couldn't find it in herself to be mad at him. "I'm only telling you because I love you, and I want ours to be the forever kind of love."

Clary's eyebrows went up and she barely kept her mouth from dropping open. In all their time together, Jace had never said anything about their future. He had made no mention of staying together for another month, much less forever. The impact of his words finally sank in as she realized just how much this meant to him.

"Okay," she said swallowing nervously. "For a minute, let's pretend that you're not crazy. Let's say that you really are an… an as…"

"Assassin?"

"Yeah, that." She agreed, glad that she hadn't had to say the actual word. "Let's say you do that for a living. How do you pick your… targets?"

"I told you, Clary. I'm not a murderer." Jace insisted. "I work for the United States Government. I'm one of about seven fully trained operatives. We were all given special training and special orders. Sometimes, there are situations where the government can't send out different teams or troops. Situations where stealth and secrecy are highly valued and too many people would alert the bad guys that something is wrong. Who better to send on such missions that a highly trained, lethal, government-sanctioned assassin? We don't kill innocent people. We hunt down terrorists, murderers, and other _evil _people." He emphasized the word in an effort to help Clary understand. "We stop them from killing innocent people, people like you and your family."

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh' is right." Jace grinned. "I, myself, have killed two known members of Al Qaeda, and baby, I'm just getting started."

"Okay, don't take this the wrong way," Clary said after a minute, "but why you?"

Jace looked positively affronted. "What do you mean, why me? I'm excellent at what I do. One of the best in the field."

"You said yourself that there are only seven." Clary pointed out dryly.

Jace frowned. "I'm sure there are more, but either way, I _am_ great at it. It's one of the many skills I possess."

Clary rolled her eyes. "That's not even what I meant, Jace. What I meant was; why did the government hire _you_? You must have been a kid when all of this started. And you said your dad died when you were eleven, right? So how did he train you?"

"My father began my training when I was just a little kid. At first it was conditioning things, not actual techniques, just getting me adjusted to the way of life. After a while, he increased my training, and it got more intense. We even covered quite a few different styles of fighting before he died." Jace explained. Clary couldn't help but notice that when he spoke of his dad, something in Jace's voice was a little disjointed. Almost as if he wasn't quite sure how he felt about the man. "He wasn't my only instructor, though. The family I was placed with after his death was also in the business."

The pieces began to click together in Clary's head. "It was Alec's family, wasn't it?" She exclaimed.

Jace nodded. "The Lightwoods took me in. Maryse and Robert, Alec's parents, were good to me. They were family friends, and both of them were retired by the time I moved in with them. It's the only way to survive in this business, retiring early. But once you're a part of it, it's hard to ever quit completely. Alec and Isabelle still take the occasional job from time to time, as did Maryse and Robert."

"Wow." Clary murmured. Her mind was working overtime, analyzing everything Jace had ever said to her about his family and his job. Slowly, the puzzle began to fit together in her head.

"That's why most women don't make it in my profession," Jace said, as if he could that she was analyzing their entire relationship in her mind.

"Why?" Clary snapped. "Because we think with the head on our shoulders?"

"As opposed to the other one…?" Jace trailed off suggestively.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," said Clary.

"I know. I just wanted to hear you say it." Jace admitted. He thought maybe if he could subtly distract her, he could put off the moment he was sure was about to come. He was fairly positive that she was going to be freaked out by all of this and never want anything to do with him. It was why he never told anyone what he did for a living.

"Jace." Clary said sweetly, as if she hadn't heard what he just said.

"Yeah?"

"Your fly's unzipped."

Jace ducked his head down to check and found that exactly what she said was true."Mmhmm." A cocky grin covered his face. "And why were you looking?"

Clary blushed. "I wasn't."

"Sure you weren't." He made a show of zipping his pants back up. "Now, if only I had to zip them back up for a different reason."

Clary looked up with the intention of scolding Jace for his innuendo. But when their eyes met, Clary felt the breath being knocked out of her. It was strange that one look could be so powerful. Jace knew right then that he wouldn't regret his decision. Clary was the only girl in his life he'd ever been serious about. Whenever she wasn't around, he thought about her. And when she was, he was happy.

Their previous conversation was completely forgotten as Jace rose to his feet. "Clary, you're the first person besides Alec and Isabelle that knows about any of this. And considering the fact that you haven't freaked out and run away yet, I'm hoping that means you're here to stay."

Gathering all the courage that he could muster—which in Jace's own opinion was quite a lot, because he _did _kill terrorists for a living— Jace prepared himself to do the scariest thing he had ever done. Give him a gun and tell him to point it at a target, and he could do it without a thought. Pulling a trigger came easy to him; it was in his blood. Opening up like this, however, was decidedly different. And infinitely more scary.

Clary's jaw dropped open as Jace lowered himself down one knee and reached into his pocket. "Clarissa Fray, I love you." his voice cracked and he swallowed hard. "You make me nervous and breathless and sometimes even scared. What I feel for you is crazy, because I'm not the type of person to commit to anything. Much less a girl. …But you're the one person I want to be with every day, the one person I can tell my deepest, darkest secrets to and not have you think any less of me." He withdrew his hand from his pocket, and held up a black box. Flicking open the lid, he held the box up for his dumbstruck girlfriend to see.

"I want to grow old with you, Clary." Jace told her earnestly. "I want to live in this very house and watch you have my children. You're everything I've ever wanted, and I couldn't give you up if I tried. Clarissa Fray, will you—?"

He was cut off by Clary throwing herself into his arms and kissing him full on the lips.

They fell backwards onto the floor in a heap. Their bodies intertwined as their lips met fiercely. Clary swore she heard Jace let out a whimper, and she responded with everything she had. Oh, yes. This was how it should be. When they finally, broke apart for air, she let out a happy sigh.

"I'm going to take that as yes," Jace said once he got his breath back.

"Of course it's a yes, you idiot!" Clary shouted. "I love you!"

A sound of exaltation tumbled out of Jace as he wrapped his arms around her in an embrace that made it clear he was never going to let her go. He pulled her down for another kiss and grinned up at her. "So you want to marry me even after I took you on a date where I lost the key to my own house, dropped you in a puddle, burnt our food, and told you that I kill people for a living?" He wasn't even going to let her know that he originally forgotten that he was even planning on proposing.

"Well, now that you mention it I think I might change my mind." Clary joked.

Jace scowled. "That's not even funny."

"Just put the ring on my finger already!" The redhead ordered. Grinning, Jace did just that. He gave her one more kiss for good measure.

With a loving smile, Clary pushed herself off of him and got to her feet. She tugged at her hair to get it to lie down, fully intending to let Jace mess it up again later."Did you really have to go through all this trouble?" She asked as Jace got to his feet. "Haven't you ever heard of dinner at a restaurant? It's a lot easier."

"Overrated," he told her.

"You're unbelievable." She responded. Despite her attempts to frown, Clary felt a reluctant smile making its way across her face as Jace pulled her into the warm circle of his arms.

"Really?" He smirked. "I thought the word was awe-inspiring."

"You know there's still time for me to change my mind, right?"

"Mhmm." Jace whispered softly in her ear, "But you'd never do that."

"Really?" Clary asked skeptically. "And why not?"

"Because without you," Jace grinned, "I'd be heartbroken, and you love me too much to leave me like that." She was silent for a moment, and Jace whispered, "Clary?"

"Yes?"

"If you could have anything in the entire world, what would it be?"

"Nothing. I'm happy with what I have, Jace." Clary said sweetly. "Especially you." She looked up at him and Jace felt his heart do something similar to a back flip.

"Come on, Clary!" He implored. Despite their epic fail of an afternoon, the girl of his dreams had agreed to marry him. So now, he was going to give her everything she ever dreamed of. Money, after all, wasn't an issue. He was freaking rich.

"I don't need anything." Clary insisted, pulling him down for another kiss. "I've already got you."

He placed a few gentle kisses on her face before tugging her up the stairs after him. They managed to make it to one of the spare bedrooms and landed in a tangle on the bed, kissing all the while. After a moment, Clary pulled up for air. "All I really need is you, Jace." She said with a grin. "…But there _was_ this really nice sketch set I saw the other day."

**That's the end! What'd you think of Jace's history? I, myself, thought it was quite ingenious, but I've been known to be incorrect about these things. So, I need your input. Please, don't suck!**


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